Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-01-07
The German Stocking.


I have just returned from . tour
through the provinces of Brandenburg
and Silesia. I do not propose to give
narrative of the Impressions I have re-
ceived on my trip. Only one feature in
my intercourse with the people of the
provincial towns shall be mentioned
that impressed itself very forcibly upon
my mind as being characteristic of the
German female. Strangers who are
admitted into the houses of German
families cannot help being puzzled at
seeing every German woman-of all
ranks, from ten years up to eighty
make the underwriting use Of her
knitting needles the be-all and end-all
Of her outdoor existence. say out
door, adsisedly; for within cooking
alternates with knitting. In the prov
inces you can hardly see female native
unprovided with her everlasting
"strickzeng." At the beer gardens, at
the cafes, at places Of amusement. the
fraats and fraatlei1as knit and knit, as
If their whole soul, like an old Irish
womans money, lay within q stocking
heel. For it is none of your pretty,
young ladylike, fancy fair looking fanta-
sizes which those ine resolute needles
perpetrate. No, the works of their
points are solid, uncompromising cover
ings for the feet Of husband, brother,
son, and daughter.
The rise and progress of pair of
German stockings, which I took on
several occasions special pains to watch
carefully, strongly reminded me Of
certain glass of hot punch. A jolly old
Irish farmer in western New York,
whom I we'll remember, was won't to
boast that he never on any occasion
drank more than one glass of punch at
one sitting. This was perfectly true,
but it was equally certain that he wss
never known to go to bed sober. The
old gentleman, after supper, used to
manufacture potent glass. After sip
ping few spoonfuls hewould complain
that it wanted sugar. A lump OF two
we're added. Then it was too sweet.
A somewhat too liberal infusion of pure
water required second dose of whisky.
Then little more sugar was added,
and so on, until, under the delusive
name of one glass, round dozen or 80
had been imbibed.
\ Now, in somewhat analogous man
ner is German stocking preserved by
its thrifty owner to a venerable old age.
When the foot, after careful mending,
is irretrievably gone, q new one is knit
on the upper part, and when this in its
turn becomes superannuated, new leg
is joined to the foot This operation
being several times repeated, the article
in question enjoys an Immortality of
stockinghood, although, like the frame
which it helps to cover, it's substance is
, perpetually renewed.
The German ladies hold in high con-
tempt all females unskilled in this par
ticular branch of industry. Even in
> public places where ladies attend, they
Z seldom go unprovided with the indefati-
! gable needles, which seem to fill up
every unoccupied moment Of waiting.
One advantage. or disadvantage, as the
case may be, of this mechanical indus,
b try is the free license which it permits
J. to the exercise of the tongue-a priv
e lege by no means neglected by either
q frau or traatlei7a. remember once t.
! have heard Coney Island described b.
r an eccentric tourist as the "sea-bathing
> est and whisky-drinkingest place b.
: had ever visited" With equal truth
might almost any provincial town il
Germany be described as one of the
D "knittingest and smokingest places il
/ the world. "-NeaO York San.